Becoming an Organ Scholar

St John’s has two Organ Scholars at any one time. Their duties are both to accompany the College Choir and to assist in the training of the Choristers. Organ Scholars will sometimes taking morning rehearsals at St John’s College School and conduct services from time to time.

A candidate for the Organ Scholarship should have a solid organ technique, good sight-reading, and the ability to improvise musically. They should also have an enthusiasm for choir training and for enabling the boys and men to perform at a high technical and musical level.

The College encourages the performance of new repertoire and there is a fund available for the purchase of organ music. The College’s commitment to new music means that Organ Scholars have the opportunity to give first performances of new works by leading composers.

The Chapel organ was built by the British firm N.P. Mander Ltd in 1994, using the cases designed by J. Oldrid Scott in 1889. It has four manuals and pedal and is well equipped with a palette of colours - including a trompeta real - to accompany the Choir in daily sung services and to perform a broad range of repertoire. You can find a full specification here.

Organ Scholarships are open to both men and women. The College pays for organ and improvisation lessons and substantial performance fees are paid for the many ‘extra’ services and concerts which are undertaken by the Choir. Organ Scholars also benefit from playing continuo with professional orchestras and ensembles. Funds are also available to support Organ Scholars working towards their ARCO and FRCO examinations.

Our next Organ Scholarship vacancy will be for entry in 2021. Details about the application process will be made available in due course.

Further information about Cambridge Organ Scholarships can be found on the University Organ Awards pages.​To find out more about being a Organ Scholar and any musical aspect of your application, email Andrew Nethsingha or call the Choir Office on 01223 338718. We can also arrange for prospective Organ Scholars to meet our Admissions Tutor to discuss which subjects you might wish to study.